


What is Yours, but You Cannot Hold?

by kaylaber1



Series: Kaylaber1's DC Continuum [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: "Combine all of the universes I like and leave out what I don't", Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, M/M, but come along on the hell ride, by that i mean, heavy batman forever vibes, idk where this is going, the slowest burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-05 10:12:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12792372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaylaber1/pseuds/kaylaber1
Summary: A business partnership was all it was. But somehow, some way, something else bubbles beneath the surface of their new arrangement.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and welcome to the first installment of my DC crap. Despite the fact that I've been creating this universe and deciding how things would play out and how characters would be portrayed for YEARS, I've done absolutely NO actual story planning, so I'm kind of winging it and seeing where it goes from here. I'll try to put cool little information blurbs in the notes every chapter, because it might be fun and also help better establish the universe to all you lovely readers!!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

To say that the heist had not gone as planned would be the understatement of the century. Edward was currently thanking whatever deities may or may not exist for his natural flexibility as he crouched, head between his knees in a back alley of West Gotham. He was pretty sure he'd shaken off the Bat, but one can never be sure. With the technology the vigilante used, he may as well be a superhuman. He lets another half hour pass before he shoots his henchgirls a text for pickup, although with how that went at the bank, he wasn't holding his breath. Minutes later, he hears tires screech into the alley, and hold his breath is exactly what Ed does. There's no guarantee that that's not the GCPD coming to try their hand at hunting him down, or worse yet- the Batman himself returned to finish what he'd started. Footsteps crunch closer to his hiding spot, and he can hear his heart pounding in his chest. Quiet as humanly possible, he waits.

"Hey Ed, you alive?" Echo's voice reverberates off the brick walls of the alley, and he lets out a sigh of relief

"Yeah, no thanks to you two!" Ed hisses, emerging from the box like a turtle coming out of its shell. "Where the hell were you?!"

"Working." Echo says flatly. Betrayal flashes across Edward's face, and she interrupts him before he can tear into her. "Sorry, Riddle boy. You know this thing we have ain't exclusive. We go to the highest bidder, and tonight, that sure as hell wasn't you. Now get your kelley green ass in the car before we leave it behind."

Seething, Edward climbs into the backseat of the inconspicuous hunk of metal that Query insists upon driving and slams the door behind him. He was perfectly content to sit quietly and re-evaluate his plans, however Echo insisted upon making idle conversation. 

"Ya know Eddie, maybe you oughta find yourself a partner. Seems like you want a little more commitment than your common paid help." She says, gesturing toward herself. Despite the fact that she had turned all the way around in the passenger seat to face him, it was evident that this line of questioning was not directed at him. He folds his arms across his chest and prepares himself for the worst. 

"He already tried that, remember?" Query added with a smirk, making eye contact with Ed in the rearview mirror. He fixes her with a poisonous glare in return. This, however, does nothing to deter the conversation from its inevitable end subject.

"Oh yeah! Say, whatever happened to Old Straw-For-Brains, Ed?" Echo asks, looking at him expectantly.

"I heard that the Scarecrow got tired of Oz and now he's taking a trip down the Mad Hatter's rabbit hole." Query said, sending the pair into a fit of girlish giggles that ends abruptly at the sound of a gun cocking. Cold steel presses against the back of Query's head and for a moment, the car is deathly silent. 

"Think very carefully about what you say next, for those words may very well be your last." He says through gritted teeth. A second click to his right draws his attention, and he turns to find himself staring down the barrel of Echo's pistol.

"Since when does the Riddler carry a gun?" She asks, tone suddenly serious. For a moment, he's reminded of what initially drew him to the pair. "Ain't that what you hire out cronies like us for? To keep your pretty little hands clean?"

"Times change, dear. You either adapt or you die." He says calmly, returning the gun to its holster.

"Calm down, Nina. I bet he can't even shoot the damn thing." Query says, and although Echo slips the pistol back in the glovebox, the tension in the car is thick enough that you could cut it with a knife.

"Well ladies, as fun as this has been, I'm afraid this is my stop."

Query pulls the car over, letting Ed out at the back of an abandoned construction project on the edge of town. Before the rust bucket pulls away, he leans down and gestures for her to roll down the window.

"I forgot to mention- I don't think I'll be needing your services anymore, girls. I'm terribly sorry, but the fact of the matter is that I can find much more reliable henchpersons at a much more reasonable price. I'm sure you understand." He flashes them a quick smile and turns on his heel before they have a chance to respond.

Listening to the car pull away as he makes his way to his hideout for the time being, he lets out a sigh of frustration. Of course, he was lying about being able to find decent henchpersons at a lower price. The fact of the matter was that henchpersons of any caliber were becoming scarce, for any price. With the sudden increase in the overall efficiency of the GCPD and the Batman's steady supply of new toys (Edward was certain that the two were related, he just hadn't put enough research into it to turn it into a proper blackmailing scam yet), even the most hard-boiled of the goons are too scared to work anymore.

As much as he was loathe to admit it, Echo had a point. His....partnership with Jonathan Crane had more than just personal benefits. He'd gotten used to the support and now he was finding that he couldn't work half as efficiently without it. And the one thing Edward needs above anything else in his operations is efficiency. After all, without it he has nights like tonight, in which he left with absolutely no profit, and a batarang in his insulin pump. Edward unlocks his door, already beginning a list of potential business partners.

It was going to be a short list. Edward will be the first to admit that he has a.......unique personality- one that usually didn't mesh well with others- and the list of established rogues that DIDN'T have something against him was perhaps five strong. Harley was out of the question, as she and Pamela had been going steady and Pam wasn't known to be very accepting of newcomers. Similarly, Waylon had struck up a deal with the new girl, Mary Dahl, and Edward had already decided against associating with her, at least on a professional level. Nothing personal, of course, she just struck him as too much of a wild card to be of any use to his operations. Oswald Cobblepot was always a good choice, intelligent, cunning, in good political standing, and -most importantly- filthy rich. However, upon closer analysis, the odds that The Penguin would double cross him would only increase with the length of time they work together, so he wasn't a viable option for the long term. And of course, Jervis was off the table for obvious reasons. Which left-

Edward groans in frustration, flopping onto his green loveseat he'd pilfered from the department store a few years ago. He could already feel a migraine coming on just thinking about that interaction. Perhaps, he decides, that is a conversation for a later date. The digital clock on his wall reads "3:09 am" in blaring green numbers, reminding him of his wasted efforts. With a yawn, Edward drags himself from the couch to the bedroom, hanging his bowler and suit jacket on the hook on his way. He disconnects his now useless insulin pump, batarang still lodged firmly in the screen. At least now he had a batarang to analyze. Perhaps he could re-engineer the thing and make it his own. Ed triple checks it for tracking mechanisms before setting it on his nightstand. Batman really ought to bug these things, with the amount of times they end up coming home with the rogues they're thrown at. Maybe rather than make it his own, he'll re-design it and sell it right back to the Bat under a different name. That thought makes him smile, and almost makes up for the fact that he'll be back on daily injections for the next few months. Almost. Drowsiness is catching up to him, and he lets out another yawn before kicking off his shoes and climbing under his quilt still fully clothed. Wrinkled clothes would be one of many problems for Wednesday Edward, for now, Tuesday Edward needs rest.


	2. Chapter 2

After 2 days of putting it off, Edward finally caves. He arrives at the coffee shop at quarter to ten, orders a latte, and waits at the table in the very back corner. Shouldn't be long now. Right on schedule, Gotham's former District Attorney himself walks through the door in all his bifurcated glory. Their eyes meet across the shop, and Ed delights in the look of confusion that flashes across Harvey's face. He flashes him a winning smile, waving him over like they were old friends. Just because he was here on business didn't mean that he couldn't have a little fun messing with the guy. Ed maintains his feigned excitement as Harvey crosses the room to him.

"You're in my spot." He says flatly, staring him down.

"Well good morning to you too, boys." Ed huffs sarcastically, folding his arms across his chest. "I took the liberty of ordering your usual. One half-caff white chocolate mocha, right?"

Harvey sighs, pulling out the chair across from him and settling into it. "So you _have_ been stalking me then." He says, sounding unsurprised

"Now, now, _stalk_ is such a strong word. Did I stake out this coffee shop for days to find out exactly what time you get here, what you order, and where you sit? Yes. But I can assure you that after you leave at 11 am I have no idea nor inclination to discover what you do with your miserable life."

"You're one sick bastard, you know that?"

"Mmm flattery will get you everywhere darling." Ed says with a flirty grin.

"Get to the point, Nygma." Harvey retorts, taking a long swig of his mocha.

"Well, as luck would have it, I'm in the market for a partner."

"No."

"I haven't finished."

"I have." Harvey goes to stand, but Ed grabs his wrist

"Look, just hear me out!" Ed says. He can't believe he's doing this, but desperate times and so forth. Pulling out all the stops, Eddie gives Harvey his most pitiful expression. "Please?"

Harvey's eyes dart from Ed's hand around his wrist to his pleading green eyes nervously, the discomfort he's feeling so extreme it's palpable. ".......Fine, you can talk. Just never look at me like that again." He says, sitting back down and rubbing his wrist.

"Excellent. Thank you." Edward says, perking up instantly. "Now, as for a partnership- I understand why you might be reluctant, but let me explain to you why we would work well together. Firstly, there's the fact that you are much larger, stronger, and, as much as it pains me to say it, considerably more intimidating than I am, making you quite a valuable asset to _my_ operations, but I'm certain you're much more interested in what I can do for you. Well, that is really quite simple. I'm easily the most intelligent of all the rogues, so that's one thing, I'm an excellent strategist, which, judging by your history, you are definitely in need of-"

Edward talks. And talks. And talks. Until Harvey has had enough of his incessant babbling and backhanded compliments, and interrupts him. "Edward, if I agree to this, will you _shut the hell up?_ "

Edward stops talking abruptly, taking a moment of stunned and offended silence before continuing. ".....Yes?" he says, still shocked.

"Excellent." Harvey says, and he reaches into his pocket, fishing out a silver dollar. "Heads I take your offer-" He then reaches into his jacket and pulls a pistol out of its holster. "Tails I do the world a favor and take you out of it."

"Don't you think that's a little extreme?" Ed says flatly, but the coin is already in the air. Harvey catches it and Ed holds his breath as he looks at the result.

"....God dammit." Harvey hisses, putting the pistol back. Edward grins widely, extending his hand to shake.

"Well, I guess that's that, partner."

"I'm going to regret this." Harvey mumbles under his breath as he takes Edward's hand.

Ed pretends he didn't hear, instead electing to down the last of his latte. He pulls a vibrant green calling card out of his breast pocket, sliding it across the table. "I'm so delighted that you've agreed to merge our operations. When you're ready to talk shop, you can find me here."

"A personal calling card? What are you, my suitor?" Harvey chuckles, picking up the card and shoving it into the same pocket he keeps his coin in. Edward rolls his eyes in exasperation. His own patience was beginning to wane.

"It's 11. Don't you have somewhere else to be?" He says coldly, leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah, actually. I have a very important appointment at anyplace you're not." Harvey says, taking his last opportunity to take a stab at Edward before leaving.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out, boys!" Edward calls after him. His only response is a dismissive wave and the jingle of the shop bell. Ed couldn't help but think that Harvey was completely and utterly wrong. _He_ would be the one regretting this. Ed rubbed his temples, feeling the start of a migraine behind his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Edward wakes with a start to the sound of gunshots against metal. He leaps to his feet, grabbing whatever he can and making a break for the window. Whoever it was, he could almost guarantee he didn't want to deal with them. Especially not when they had a gun and his best choice of weapon was a cane, albeit a heavy one, but still. He jumps from the windowsill, only to be caught by the elastic waistband of his pajama bottoms and dragged kicking and squirming into the room. In his frantic squirming, Edward rears back, his elbow colliding with the intruder's jaw. The hand holding him up releases, its owner hissing in pain, and he's sent sprawling to the floor. He scrambles to a standing position as fast as he can, facing the intruder and preparing himself for a fistfight, when the moonlight from the open window falls across his face, and Ed is struck with recognition.

"Harvey?! It's 4 in the morning!!!!! What the hell are you doing in my house?!" He shouts, re-adjusting his pajamas. He's seething with indignation.

The ex-lawyer is still clutching his jaw in pain. Ed had gotten him right in the scarred side. He grimaces, before spitting a tooth into his open hand. "Jesus fucking _christ_ , Nygma! What the fuck was that about?" He shouts back, his tone a mixture of shock and fury.

"Wh- Excuse me?! You break into my house at 4 am and expect me to greet you with, what, a kiss and a smile?!" Ed rages, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Are you out of your fucking minds?! Oh my god you're bleeding on my rug. Move, move, MOVE!" Edward pushes Harvey back out into the living room, sitting him down on his loveseat.

"Stay there and try not to bleed all over my upholstery, I'm gonna get you some ice and a rag." Edward says, sparing a forlorn glance at his now ruined door. Seconds later he returns, placing the ice on Harvey's jaw. He winces, but moves to hold the thing in place. Ed sinks into the wingback chair across from him with a sigh. A charged silence settles uneasily over the room. Eddie hates silence. It only takes him a few moments and a wayward glace at his front door for him to strike up a conversation.

"So. Care to explain to me why there are _bullet holes_ in my door?" He said, gesturing to the obliterated lock. The door that he'd painted and installed himself now hung open, only one of it's hinges intact.

"You didn't answer." Harvey shrugged

"Oh yes, silly me. Forgetting to answer the door at 4 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING." Ed hissed. His hand moves to pinch the bridge of his nose in an effort to quell his irritation. "But what I really meant, I suppose, is why are you trying to get into my house in the middle of the night in the first place?"

Harvey pulls out a crumpled piece of green paper that Edward can barely recognize as his calling card and places it on the coffee table, pushing it towards him . "You said to contact you when I wanted to talk business. I'm ready to talk."

Edward just looks at him for a moment, disbelieving, until he realizes that his 'partner' is dead serious.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yes."

"About business?"

"Yes."

"At 4 in the morning?"

"That's the hour, yes."

"And, when I didn't answer, you thought that the best solution was to shoot my lock and give me the biggest wedgie of all time?"

"I wasn't expecting you to jump out the window."

"Right. Well, Dent, you certainly got my attention, I'll give you that." Ed sighs, getting back out of his chair. He's too tired to argue anymore. "I'm gonna make us some hot cocoa, and then you're going to talk to me about whatever it is you wanted to talk to me about, and then you're gonna get the hell out of my apartment and let me sleep." He doesn't give Harvey the chance to respond before he goes to the next room to make them some swiss miss. He can't believe he's actually letting him stay after that shitshow. Must be the sleep deprivation. The microwave beeps and he takes the steaming mugs from it, carrying them into the other room. Setting a green coaster under Harvey's mug, Ed fixes him with a stony glare. "Start talking."

"First order of business: I'm not going to be your lackey. I'm not your bitch. I'm not your boyfriend. I work for half the proceeds, and nothing less. I get a say in every heist we pull, and I can refuse any offer made." He begins. His jaw has started swelling, and it's noticeably affecting his speech. Eddie can't help but feel a little bad about it. Emphasis on little.

"Well I thought that that much was obvious. It's a partnership, not indentured servitude."

"It's not wise to freely dispense one's trust."

"You've got that right." Ed scoffs. It comes out a little more heated than he'd like, and from the other side of the coffee table Harvey raises an eyebrow.

"...Something you'd like to talk about?" The DA asks with caution.

"Not really no. Go on."

"Okay, good. Brings me to point number 2: I am not gonna be your therapist. This is purely a business arrangement. Whenever we're working, you're not gonna bring aaaaany of your baggage along for the ride."

"Oh of course. That goes _double_ for you, ya know. All puns aside, you have quite the messy reputation yourself." Ed says with a smirk, taking a swig from his mug.

"Heh. That's fair." Harvey chuckled. "One last thing; When, not if, _when_ we finally get the Batman, WE get to kill him." The former DA gestures emphatically to himself, his mug threatening to spill its contents onto Edward's couch.

"You can kill him. But only after I prove sufficiently that my intellect is superior to his." Eddie replies, snatching Harvey's mug and placing it back on its coaster. He doesn't seem to notice.

"In that case-" Harvey grins, extending his hand for Ed to shake, his smile widening when he takes it. "Welcome aboard, _partner._ "

"Fantastic. Lovely. Glorious. Euphoric." Edward says in monotone. He gets up from his chair and walks back into his room, returning with a large fluffy blanket and a spare pillow.

"What's all this?" Harvey slurs, gesturing to the pile of bedcoverings in Ed's arms. Ed plops them down on the couch beside him.

"Well, I was relying on the remote location of this construction site and the structural integrity of that door to keep me from having to worry at night. So your first assignment, _partner_ is to put that trigger happy attitude to use and shoot anyone who comes in that door until you can replace it." Eddie huffs, hands on his hips. He looks like an angry mother, and Harvey can't help but smile at the image.

"What happened to 'you're getting out of my apartment so that I can sleep'?" Harvey chuckled, beginning to unfold the blanket.

"I thought better of it." Eddie said dismissively. "When you're done with your mug, put it in the sink. Goodnight." He didn't wait for a response before turning around and heading back to the bedroom. He almost had his door closed before a garbled call of 'Goodnight' came from the couch. When the door shuts, Edward leans against it with a sigh, wondering what the hell he's gotten himself into.


End file.
